masterofmagicfandomcom-20200216-history
Dark Elf Halberdiers
|upkeep_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |ranged = |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = Ranged Attack x4 }} Dark Elf Halberdiers are a type of Normal Unit. This unit may be created from any Dark Elf town, for the Construction Cost of . Like all Halberdiers, Dark Elf Halberdiers are a main-line defensive unit, capable of holding its own in a fight with other Normal Units, especially after gaining some Experience. Furthermore, all Dark Elves are inherently-magical creatures, and possess two powerful racial bonuses which serve to elevate this specific unit above other Halberdiers: It has a basic Magical Ranged Attack, and a surprisingly-high Resistance score. These bonuses come at a price of course, with Dark Elf Halberdiers costing 150% more to produce than a basic Halberdiers unit. Dark Elf Halberdiers are thus quite strong, but also less abundant. Dark Elf Halberdiers require an Upkeep Cost of and to maintain. Failure to pay these costs will result in the unit being disbanded automatically. Unit Properties Physical Description Dark Elf Halberdiers are a group of slender humanoids with violet-colored skin and white hair. They wear brown leather clothes and carry halberds - long poles topped with large axe blades, used either for stabbing or for hacking at enemies while fending them off. Dark Elves are inherently magical beings, and can channel magical energy into a destructive force on a whim. They are also incredibly resistant to magic and other ill effects. Dark Elf Halberdiers are a , containing when fully healed. Attack Properties Dark Elf Halberdiers use a Melee Attack for hand-to-hand combat, which is relatively strong compared to that of other Normal Units. They can thus take on most Normal Unit with good chances of success, and even pose a small threat to low-tier Fantastic Units. As with all Dark Elves, they also possess a basic Magical Ranged Attack which is used prior to engaging in Melee combat. Both attacks get a little stronger with . Each Halberdier makes a Melee Attack with a strength of . With no additional bonuses this gives each Halberdier an average damage output of about - enough to get through light armor easily, especially with all attacking simultaneously. With additional Experience, this attack can quickly become threatening to some Fantastic Units. Before engaging in Melee however, Dark Elf Halberdiers can use a basic Ranged Attack up to 4 times per battle. This attack also has a strength of , causing about per Halberdier. The benefit of this attack of course is that it can be used at a distance, before engaging the enemy in Melee combat. As a Magical attack, it suffers no penalties for range, making it useful regardless of the position of the target. On the other hand, it will not hurt targets possessing Magic Immunity. This "secondary" Ranged Attack actually makes Dark Elf Halberdiers stronger than the average Bowmen unit. With all attacking together, it is quite possible to whittle down an enemy Normal Unit so that it poses little danger to the Halberdiers themselves, and Melee combat can be safely initiated. This attack also becomes stronger with Experience, and can eventually be quite dangerous to most enemy Normal Units. Defense Properties The Dark Elf Halberdiers possess a Defense score of - just slightly better than the average for Normal Units. They can deflect about from any damage source, on average. This can reliably fend off some damage from enemy Spearmen or Swordsmen, but is unlikely to stop any serious attack. As with most Normal Units, each Dark Elf Halberdiers possesses only . In other words, each point of inflicted on this unit will kill off one of its . Dark Elves are inherently resistant to magic, and so Dark Elf Halberdiers possess an impressive Resistance score of . While this provides only mediocre protection from Curses and other ill effects, this is still considered high among Normal Units. With additional Experience, the Dark Elf Halberdiers can become significantly more resistant to such effects, and may even become immune to some of them as the unit crosses . Other Properties Dark Elf Halberdiers move at a slow , and can only traverse land tiles. The unit has no special movement properties. Basic Strategy Halberdiers are a step up from main-line Swordsmen units. Though Dark Elf Halberdiers are twice as expensive as Dark Elf Swordsmen, they are both stronger and more durable in Melee combat. Thus, an empire that can afford to build Dark Elf Halberdiers will often fill its armies with them as fodder and defensive troops, possibly even replacing the Swordsmen entirely. Dark Elf Halberdiers are often superior in combat to enemy low-tier Normal Units. Though Halberdiers are more vulnerable to Ranged Attacks than Swordsmen, and will still suffer casualties in almost any fight, they deliver a good amount of damage to their opponents and can occasionally wipe an enemy unit out with one attack. In fact, with their Ranged Attack, Dark Elf Halberdiers can destroy such units even before Melee combat erupts. At the start of a battle, Dark Elf Halberdiers (like most Dark Elf units) will begin by expending their Ranged Attacks at whichever enemy target seems most suitable. The weak nature of this attack means that the best targets are often those that are lightly-armored - since other targets may or may not suffer any damage from this attack at all. Enemy Ranged Attackers, such as Bowmen, as well as enemy Spearmen make good targets for this attack. Once the Dark Elf Halberdiers have run out of Ranged Attacks, they can begin to advance into Melee combat with whatever is left of the enemy. Their Melee Attack is strong enough to make short work of most low-tier Normal Units, and may occasionally work against injured Fantastic Units as well. Dark Elf Halberdiers are expensive to produce, making it more difficult to construct large armies of Dark Elf Halberdiers. Still, such armies can be very powerful during the early game - especially when concentrating their attacks on specific units. With several Halberdiers focusing their Ranged Attacks and then Melee Attacks together, they can probably subdue even mid-tier Fantastic Units. Ability Overview Ranged Attack x4 * This unit may use a instead of a Melee Attack up to 4 times in each battle. Once the unit's ammo is expended, it must resort to Melee Attacks. Experience Table The following table illustrates how Dark Elf Halberdiers improve as they gain Experience. Any properties that are not listed here do not improve with Experience in any way. * To achieve this level, either the Warlord Retort or the Crusade spell must be in play. ** To achieve this level, both the Warlord Retort and the Crusade spell must be in play simultaneously. Average Damage Output The table below details the average amount of damage that each in a Dark Elf Halberdiers unit will deliver with each type of attack, based on . It can be used in comparison to the target's Defense rating to figure out the chance of hurting that target. Acquisition Dark Elf Halberdiers may be produced in any Dark Elf Town. A town must contain an Armory to be able to produce Dark Elf Halberdiers. Should a town lose its Armory, it can no longer produce Dark Elf Halberdiers until a replacement structure is built. The Construction Cost of this unit is . Dark Elf Halberdiers may appear for hire as Mercenaries. They may already have some Experience on being hired, and several units may be hired simultaneously. Hiring these units requires a certain cost in that depends on many different factors. Dark Elf Halberdier Mercenaries have the same Upkeep Cost as a normally-constructed unit. Category:Units Category:Normal Units Category:Dark Elves Category:Halberdiers